Meter.



No. 860,253. I "r PATENTED JULY 16, 1907.

1). B. SGRAPFORD.

- METER.

AIILIOATION FILED AUG. 27. 1904.

W 7 W Q .M F 1777201 05 UNITED Sum? DANIEL E. SCRAFFORD, OF PlCOltlA, lLLINOlS.

METER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented July 16,1907.

Application filed August 27,1904. Serial No. 222,525.

To altwhom it may concern:

Be it known that I; DANIEL E. SCRAFFORD, a citizen of the United States, residing at Peoria, in the county of Peoria and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Meters; and 1 do hereby declare that the following is anal, clear, and exact description of the invention, which will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertainsto make and use the same. 7 This invention pertains to meters for registering the amount of gas or electricity used but may be adapted for other uses also where a meter can be employed.

The object of the present invention is to provide a meter which will register'in a step-by-step manner, that. is, that its indicator fingers or dials, whichever may be employed shallniove from one figure to an other and be found only at the figures instead of between thereby making the reading of the meter a positive one.

A further object of the invention is to provide an atiitachment for meters as ordinarily constructed so that said meter may be changed from the common continuously moving-form to the step-by-step form so that the ing.-

readings taken therefrom will be correct as to the amount of gas or electricity used up to the time of read- In the appended drawing forming a part; of this application, Figure 1 represents a top or edge view of the meter mechanism as removed from the case. Fig. 2 is a laceview of the same showing its dial and parts broken away to Show arrangement. of mechanism behind. Fig. 3 is a view of a slightly modified form of certain parts oi my meter construction.

By the aid of thddrawiiw-tho common form ot'mcter will bedescribed after which my attachment, will be explained to renderthe invention, more clearly undcn stood. As ordinarily constrmrted a. meter consists of the plates A. and B held apart. by such means as the posts C and between the said plates are carried the usual arbors a, b, c, d, 0, provided with the gcars and pinions a, (L2; 1)", b; c, c'-; (1; (Z and a respectively [or each said arbor as shown, while at f suitable gearing connecting with. the operating mechanism imparts the desired movement to the series of gears and pinions described for registering purposes. The dial is usually r'ried on the outer face of the plate B and the ends ol arbors a, I), c, (Z, c carry indicator fingers which. however, aro not shown. 1 attach. no importance to the mechanism just described since it does not enter into my invention except to carry out certain operations necessary therein. My invention now, which may be termed an attachment since it can be applied to any meter now made, consists in providing a third plate 1) for tlic meter separated from the plate 11 by means of .poiitsl l, and the dial F in lieu of being carried on the i plate B as hcrernbeiore mentioned carried on the outer face of said plate I) when the usual indicator tingcrs are employed, said dial being provided with the usual printed numerals from J to 0 but not shownhcrcin since it is too well understood to require further attention.

The ends of the arbors a, b, c, d, c, where they project. through the plate I) are deprived of the usual indicator fingers and a ratchet wheel (I is aiiixed to each arbor in lieu of said fingers. At the back of the plate D directly opposite each arbor is a dial 11 provided as shown in Fig. 2 with the usual numcrals,' ten in'numbcr. Ad-

'juccnt to the dial is a ratchet wheel I designed to move said dial one ot the teeth of said wheel being in line with one of the numerals. A screw J or other device is employed on which the dial and ratchet wheel may revolve, said screw being held in the plate D. Also on the back of the plate just indicated is a weighted lever K for each of the ratchct wheels I the same being carried pivotally by the posts L, there being one of said levers above each wheel shown. Depending from cachol' the lovers is a gravity pawl M adapted [or engagement with the ratchet wheel I. Pivoted to the'plute D below each of the latter is a pawl N also adapted to engage the said ratchet wheels the latter pawl being designed to prevent backward movement of the whccl when moved ahead by the upper pawl M mentioned. Secured to the lovers K are horizontal pins 0 extending toward and resting upon the ratchet wheels G as illustrated in Fig. 1- I In Fig. 2 the dial l is omitted since it is not used with the rcvol ving dialsl'l, there being windows 1- in the plate 1) through which the figures on the dials may be read. lint in Fig. 3 a modified form ol' device is shown in which :tslceve Q carrying the ratchet wheel I is employcd, said sleeve being placed upon the arbor u but.

only ilittiolullly held tin-ruby so that the indicator linger it will not full ot'its own weight, the friction being sutlicicnt to prevent such an occurrence. Thelevcr l\' and the pawlsdescribed hereinlurlore are employed in this l'ormin the samewuyzl-nd scrve to turn the finger it in the same manner as the dials are in the othcr form. By this means the dial F'may be used with the usual figure to bring about the positive reading as before.

In operation op -rating mechanism imparts movement to the various arbors through the gears and pinions turning thoratchet wheels G in the same manner as the indicator fingers have been moved in the oldlorms of motor. Now, since there are ten teeth to each ratchet wheel the lovers K will he moved as many times during one revolution oi said wheels by means of the .pins 0 described which rest upon the wheels and follow the teeth up and down. That is to say, the pin rises on each tooth and l: lls to the next again rising to fall again numerals thereon, the iingcrs it moving from figure to I and this movement in imparting a like movement to the pawls M will turn the ratchet wheel Le. tenth of a revolution at each fall of said lever K thereby moving the dial H one number in front of the window P of the plate D. Orin Fig. 3 the finger R will receive the samefall of the lever K corresponds exactly to the travel of.

an indicator finger, in the old form oimeter, from one figure to another the conditions be equal, of course, in each case. The irrechanism between the'plates A and B moves steadily on while the ratchet wheels Gscrve to convert that continuous motion to a siep-by-step one.

The advantage of such a device in furnishing a positive reading is at once evident andthe fact that any meter now in use can be provided with this attachment for gainingthis advantage will not be lost sight of.

I need notnoce rily coniiue myself to the construc tion shown and described since equivalent meanscould be devised by a person iamiliarwith devices of this nature.

Evidently any other form of meter could be iitted with my attachment and the desired result would be attained the object being to convert. the continuous movement of any meter into a step-by-stepmovement.

It will be understood, of course, that the first dial on the right as shown in the drawing moves an entire revolution while the one adjoining moves but a tenth of a revolutidn. In other words said iirst dial receives ten revolutions to one ofthe second. The same is true throughout the balance of the dials this being true of all meters. But in this instance whether the indicator R or the dial H is employed the reading can always be taken it being merely necessary to put down the figuresindicated.

The pawls M and N as also the levers K may be provided with springs to keep them in engagement with their ratchet wheels but gravity'is found to be sufficient.

4,} in reality the pawl M and: the lever K is as one member and may be considered as a pawl of a compound form v 1. A meter comprising a train of gear wheels, a ratchet wheel carried on the shaft of each of said gear wheels,-

:1. numeral carrying dial independent of and opposite each ratchetwheel and adapted for intermittent movement and means for imparting said intermittent movement to the dials through the ratchets.

2. In a meter, the combination with'a gear train, the shafts ofwhlch rotate constantly at different speeds, of a set of indicating dials, and means whereby said shafts impart intermittent rotnry movement to said dials respectively.

oluble indicating dials, of a corresponding set of shafts, gearing rotating said shafts constantly at: different speeds, and means whereby eauh sh aft imparts intermittent rotary movement to the corresponding disk, substantially as set forth.

4. The combination with a gear train having its shafts constantly rotated at different predetermined speeds, of a set of revolubly mounted indicating dials, a corresponding 3. The combination with a set of independently rev the corresponding weight in ratchet,

to engage the said wheel, and an lever set of dial rotating weights, and means whereby each weight is slowly raised and suddenly released by the constant rotation of one of said shafts.

5 The combination with a set of shafts, of gears con necting the shafts and constantly rotating each at one tenth the rate of the preceding shaft of the set, a correspondingset of independently revoiuble indicating dials, weights arranged to impart rotary movement to the dials respectively, as the former descend, 'and means whereby each shaft of the set slowly raises and suddenly released rotating through a predetermined ang'ular distance.

t A meter comprising a train of gearing having an unremitting motion, a notched wheel for each gear, :1 series of numeral carrying dials independently mottnted and adapted for a stop and start motion, and atrip mechanism for each dial, each operated by one of the notched wheels for moving its corresponding dial one step to expose. a succeeding numeral.

7. In a meter the combination of the'gearing and arbor-s carrying the same, a toothed wheel on the end of cach'oi' the latter. a registering dial for each arbor but entirely independent thereof, a toothed wheel for each dial, a pawl for operating the wheel and the dial, and means between -the wheel on the arbor and the said pawl for imparting movement to said pawl at each passage'oi' a toot'hof said arbor wheel beyond a certain point for the purposes indicated.

S. In a meter the combination of the driving means thereof and the arbors therefor usually provided with constantly rotating hands or indicators, a ratchet wheel on each arbor in place of said indicators, a dial opposite each arbor but independent thereof, a ratcheflwhcel adjacent to the said dial for moving the latter, and means between the arbor wheel and the dial wheel to be raised and dropped by each tooth of said'arbor wheel in the revolution of the latter for raising and dropping said means to impart a step-by-step movement to the dial.

5): lna meter, a'serics of continuously driven arbor-s, a wheel for-each of said arbors, a registering dial opposite'the end of each said arbor but independent there of, and means between the ratchet wheel and the dial for imparting a step by-step movement to said dial, saidmeans receiving movement from said ratchet wheel and dropped therefrom as the tooth passes beneath it: for the purposes described 10. In a meter :1 series 'ofcontlnuonsly driven arbors, a ratchet wheel for each said arbor, a registering dial opposite the end of each arbor but independent thereof, said dial being mounted to turn on its center, a ratchet wheel therefor for driving it, a gravity lever in the vlcinlty'of the dial ratchet-wheel, a pawl. depending from said lever arm extending from the be raised by the teeth of the latter during its revolution, said le'vci' falling from each tooth to impart a tenth of a revolution to the dial at each fall for the purposes described.

I 11. In a meter a series of continuously driven arbors, a. ratchet wheel for each said arbor, a registering dial opposite the end of each arbor but independent thereof, said dial being mounted to turn at its center, a ratchet wheel therefor for driving it, a gravity lever in the vicinity of the dlal-ratchet-whcel, a pawl depending from said lever to engage the said wheel, a. second pawl for preventing the wheel moving in a. backward direction, and'n'n extension of the lever to rest upon the to let the arbor-ratchetwheel to be raised by each tooth during passage 01. the teeth thereunder, said lever falling from eachtooth to impzirha partial revolution to the dial at each fall for the purposes indicated.

In testimony \vhoreof I affix my signature, in presence of two witnesses. 7 I

- DANIEL scn'Arronn. Witnesses I E; J. Annnsorj, 13. M. TiiunLoW.

to rest upon the top of the arbor-ratchet-wheelfto: 

